Hosting a TV show / webinar is a unique experience and a rare opportunity as well. Even though there is a webinar epidemic due to the pandemic, truth is having to host a show requires tedious preparation until it comes natural to you.
(Then again, any skill when you think it comes naturally and you take it for granted, that is the tipping point where you begin to lose that skill. Applies for a professional athlete and definitely applies to a speaker / host too)
As someone who has hosted over 300 shows / webinars in a span of 2 years (My hosting life too began after the pandemic), I wish to share the following 5 tips for any aspiring host of
webinars / TV shows.
1. Prepare like an Expert – The finer details matter. The more you know about the subject you can direct the conversation better. It is like the role of a concert conductor. Never plays an instrument but guides and directs the whole evening. A host is not a compere who just hands over the stage to a speaker. They will be an active and vital part of the show. When doing Bisnomics, before each episode I would read the latest local and global news from that subject. Just so that I can probe the guest in the right angle and ask more new questions.
2. Get the opening & your catch phrases right – I learnt from my role model in life Richard Quest about getting the catch phrases right. The host is not meant to be the one who speaks the most, but in the limited time they speak, what is said needs to be remembered well.
For Quest means business he would say, “What a Profitable Day”. For Bisnomics I introduced it as your weekend’s most profitable 60 minutes.
3. Familiarise yourself with the camera – Whether it is TV set or a webinar, focusing on the camera matters. In TV sets usually you have the close-up for the speaker and guest and a wide angle while in the webinar it may be the phone or laptop you are using. Either way, when speaking one needs to look at the camera properly and not the screen. The audience feels your eye contact based on how well you look at them. Rather than looking at the laptop screen, if you look at the laptop camera in your webinar the impact will be a lot better.
4. Master the ending – Your ending needs to be a summary and a highlighting of some key points mentioned. To personalize your ending focus precisely on one key facto which you felt was good about the guest. How clear he / she was, how true the facts were or some aspect which is unique to that speaker. That is always better than just a thank you. And when ending it have a catch phrase which you can share that makes people feel energised.
My catch phrase was, “No matter what business you are in, have a profitable week ahead”
5. Deep and focused listening: A guest on your show is likely to make an error especially when it comes to statistics. If you just switch off your listening mode, then you might miss it too and it will have a negative impact on your show as well as you. Because as the host you are supposed to be alert to what is discussed and spoken.
I have had guests who said there are twenty million families in Sri Lanka. Guests who said
population is close to ten billion and those who have over and understated certain industry values and populations. It may be said by them, but as the host, it is my duty to correct.
If a figure does not sound right, it is always better to question or even start and stop. If it is a live show then better to probe in a way you are trying to make sure it was correct so the guest can always correct the mistake and move on.
So, there you have it. Show hosting is a specific art of public speaking and a rare opportunity for a speaker. But should you get the opportunity, grab it with both hands and enjoy the moment.
When you hear the words, 3…2…1…. LIVE: you are the STAR of the show.
Until next week, Keep Speaking!!!!!
(To learn more on Tharindu and the programs offered relating to Public Speaking / Presentation Skills & Corporate Communication, visit www.danandken.com)